1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disposable toothbrushes of the type having structure enabling the toothbrush to be slipped over and supported on one finger.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Non-rigid personal hygiene articles such as toothbrushes are quite useful in certain situations. If adapted to fit over a person's finger and rely upon the finger for form holding support, a toothbrush may be quite compact when folded for storage, and may be quite inexpensive. Flexible, disposable toothbrushes have been proposed in the prior art. Examples are seen in my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,068,941, issued Dec. 3, 1991, and 5,107,562, issued Apr. 28, 1992, and in other prior patents. A representative selection of the latter includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,070,102, issued to Harold B. MacDonald on Dec. 25, 1962, 3,298,507 and 3,368,668, issued to Frank Micciche on Jan. 17, 1967 and Feb. 13, 1968, and 4,134,172, issued to Oscar A. Arce on Jan. 16, 1979.
These prior art patents lack the improvements of the present invention, these being impregnation of the constituent material with a flavoring agent, fabrication from a printable material and inclusion of indicia on the disposable toothbrush, and the kit of the present invention. The kit includes ancillary hygienic devices, such as dental floss and a frangible capsule of dentifrice. Dental floss is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,264, issued to Duane L. Storandt on Jul. 11, 1972, but not as an element separate and apart from a disposable toothbrush, as seen in the present invention. A capsule of dentifrice is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,867, issued to William F. McCord on Apr. 27, 1976, but not as part of a kit as shown herein. In McCord's toothbrush, the capsule is located apart from the bristles, and must be applied to the teeth or to that portion of the mouth receiving hygienic attention. By contrast, the capsule of the present invention is disposed adjacent the bristles, requiring only breaking of the encapsulating membrane to render the dentifrice fully and immediately usable.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.